LookingBack

Reston Judo Club 1986

Published:07:24Saturday 24 September 2011

25 years ago

▼ Berwickshire District Council are to be asked to do everything in their power to retain Eyemouth Town Hall. The future of the building is to be considered later this month by the District Council and Eyemouth Community Council agreed this week that as much as possible should be done to keep the hall. At their meeting on Monday, community councillors heard that after struggling to promote the use of and generate interest in the hall, the Town Hall committee had really decided that they could no longer continue.

▼ SOUTH of Scotland Euro MP Alasdair Hutton has expressed concern that Berwickshire and East Lothian’s inshore fishing industry has not been included in a list of priority areas for grants. The list of priority areas is included in new proposals by the European Commission for the future of the fishing industry. Although welcoming, the Commission’s pledge to more than double the amount of money available to the industry, Mr Hutton said he was concerned that the region hadn’t been regarded as a priority area.

▼ Berwickshire District Council have agreed in principle to spend nearly £250,000 on a proposed housing scheme at Leitholm on the site of the old school. But the council expressed concern that the probable cost for the development had been estimated to be 25 per cent less. Members heard last week that the cost of building eight new houses at Main Street would be just over £242,000- the probable cost had been estimated at £180,000.

▼ SEASONAL food processing has led to unemployment falling slightly in Berwickshire. While uncertainty in the knitwear and textile industries has led to a rise in the number of people unemployed in other parts of the Borders, the latest figures from the Job Centre show that the number of people out of work in Berwickshire has reduced. However, Berwickshire still has the highest rate of unemployment in the Borders with 368 males and 3334 females out of work in the district.

▼ RAIN on Friday night ensured an excellent turnout and a high standard of entries in the various sheep sections at the Lammermoor Pastoral Society’s annual show at Ellemford on Saturday. For the rain kept most farmers out of their combines and allowed them to head to Ellemford for the Society’s 103rd show. The show was held in fine weather and this and the high standard of entries overall combined to make the event an immense success. The overall sheep champion was a Cheviot Ewe owned by W. Barr of Thirlestane, Lauder.

▼ borders Regional Council are blacking Radio Tweed for breaking a “gentleman’s agreement” between themselves and the media. Until the local radio station agrees to abide by an embargo on reporting agenda items before meetings, both members and officials of the council will decline to give them comments or interviews. The matter was brought to a head on Tuesday, when a letter from four Borders journalists who regularly attend Council meetings, was discussed in private. They asked for clarification of the situation before the end of September.

▼ Berwickshire’S ‘marathon man’ of rallying notched yet another victory in a long distance event this week by winning the gruelling Sydney to Darwin Rally in Australia. Whitsome farmer Andrew Cowan crossed the finishing line ahead of his nearest rival, Australian Ross Dunkerton in his Mitsubishi with Japan’s Hiroshi Masuoka in a Pajero, third.

50 years ago

▼ EYEMOUTH Town Council, supported by Berwickshire County Council, are lodging an objection to the proposal by British Railyways to close the branch line which connects the Berwickshire town with the main line at Burnmouth. If the proposal is approved, both Eyemouth and Burnmouth stations will be closed. It was felt that the withdrawal of rail services at the present time would not be wise in view of harbour developments which had been approved and which were expected to start in early 1962.

▼ LINES of wooden poles stretching across the beautiful scenic Lammermoors would be a blot on the countryside, it was stated at a meeting of the Berwickshire planning, property and works committee on Friday. The committee agreed to hold out for the provision of lattice steel masts, although the South of Scotland Electricity Board claimed it would cost £90,000 more.

▼ BERWICKSHIRE was hit by the gale which raged across Britain on Saturday, but damage in the county was only slight and nobody was injured. Gusts of wind reached 60 miles an hour on the coast, but one again the Borders escaped the full fury of the storm. In Duns and Chirnside areas, several trees were blown down and minor roads were blocked.

▼ a GROUP of swimming enthusiasts, who have formed a sub-aqua club in Eyemouth, hope shortly to be able to start exploring the waters off the Berwickshire coast with the intention of revealing some of the mysteries of the deep.

▼ PROVOST Mrs J Jackson urged Berwickshire’s planning, property and works committee to take action to provide a site for a playing field at Eyemouth. A sub-committee had been appointed to look into the possibilities of providing a small extension to the existing Junior Secondary School playing field.

▼ A PIGEON from the loft of Major H R Trotter, at Charterhall, near Duns, won second place in the Usher Scottish Young Birds pigeon national for the east section. Major Trotter’s bird was placed second equal out of more than 3000 from the whole country.

t THE strong wind spoilt what was all set to be a thriller on Saturday when Duns met Chirnside United in Hawthorn Park. Both sides in the first and second half, had many chance which they did not take.

t SIXTEEN year old George Hood, Braeside, St Abbs, who sustained an accident to this hand in Newfoundland, arrived home on Thursday. George went away in June to the fishing at the Grand Banks, Newfoundland, and was aboard the Fairtry 3rd. The accident occurred when a serving hatch fell on his hand as the ship rolled. He was with the whaling expedition last winter and all being well he will be going away to the whaling this year again.

t DUNBAR Town Council has formally approved of an overspill agreement with the City of Glasgow. This provides that Dunbar will erect 150 houses over a period of five years, for the accommodation of overspill population.

t GENERAL permission for a caravan site at Bridgend, Duns, was given on Friday by the planning, property and works committee of the county council. They felt that it would attract tourists and trade to their town. Caravan Club officials had looked at the site and regarded it as suitable but the police were concerned about the access.

100 years ago

▼ CHIRNSIDE and Chirnside Bridge were on Wednesday night thrown into great excitement when it became known by telegraphic message that fire had broken out in Duns. Mr Annandale, Manager at the Paper Mill, received the wire and left no time in finding Mr Graham, head foreman, and Mr McIvork, head engineer, and very soon the fire brigade were at work, and by the time Mr Graham had seen Mr Ford, farm manager, about the horses, the men had the engine out ready to start. With a pair of good, strong horses the whole parade were rattling on to Duns, which they reached within an hour of the telegram. When they reached the fire they were told there was no water, but very soon they got in touch with the police authorities and a supply of water was got at and the engine set to work. Unfortunately, the supply of water was not very great, but with plenty willing hands the brigade were able to do yeoman service and the fire was soon got under, the engine and the men returning home about two next morning.

▼ THE annual harvest thanksgiving service was held in Edrom Parish Church on Sunday. The Church was beautiful, decorated with flowers and fruit, by the deft hands of several ladies of the congregation. Rev Mr Simpson preached a most appropriate and eloquent sermon from Ephesians 5-20. The praise was beautifully rendered, lead by Mr Nicol, organist and choir master.

▼ on Thursday, dairy keepers in Duns and District held a meeting in Elliots Temperance Hotel, when they unanimously decided to raise the price of milk on and after October 1st to 2d per pint.

▼ Mr James Fairburn and son were commissioned to sail a yacht from Cove to Sunderland on Monday, which they did successfully, and were much gratified by the liberality of the owners.

▼ Miss Eggleton, Duns, the newly appointed teacher at Eccles, entered on her duties on Monday when this school was re-opened after the holidays. Miss Eggleton was selected for the post from a large number of applicants; and the best of good wishes are expressed for her success.

▼ the closing of Coldstream Bowling Green took place on Thursday afternoon, when a match between the president and the vice-president was played in beautiful weather, resulting in a victory for the vice president by 134 shots.

▼ Mr and Mrs David Cowe, Leitholm, entertained their farm employees, with a number of friends, to a splendid supper on Friday night to mark the close of a good and successful harvest. Masters John and Willie Cowe gave recitations, and songs were happily rendered by Mrs David Cowe, Mrs W Elliot, Mr David Cowe and Mrs Mary Cowe (Haddington East Mains).

t A WEST Berwickshire farmer has sent in harvest records for the last 40 seasons. They will show this year to be the earliest finish of the 40. We started earlier in 1887, but it was a longer harvest, as the weather was not so settled. This has been the driest season here since 1868, when harvest was begun on August 5 and all in on August 31. There was no rain in 1868 of any amount after May 26, except a thunder shower of a quarter of an hour’s duration - which brairded most of the turnips in the district.